Flange bending support

ABSTRACT

An injector includes a mounting flange having a mounting lug with fastener bore therethrough that passes through the mounting flange. A support beam extends along an outer surface of the mounting flange from the mounting lug to a hub of the mounting flange. The support beam includes an outer surface spaced apart from the outer surface of the mounting flange and two opposed lateral surfaces each extending from the outer surface of the support beam toward the outer surface of the mounting flange. The outer surface of the support beam includes a contour and/or the support beam includes a stiffening beam that is wider than the width between the opposed lateral surfaces of the support beam.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/789,610filed Oct. 20, 2017 the contents of which are incorporated by referenceherein in their entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention

The present disclosure relates to nozzles and injectors, and moreparticularly to mounting nozzles and injectors such as in gas turbineengines.

2. Description of Related Art

Injectors and nozzles are often used to clamp components of air shroudsand seals when installing the nozzles in engine cases of gas turbineengines. Using nozzles to clamp these other components leaves a gapbetween the mounting flange of the nozzle and the engine case. This gapallows the mounting flange to bend and to be subjected to mechanicalstress when the bolts are torqued to mount the nozzle to the enginecase. This mechanical stress and bending can cause cracking, which mustbe corrected by replacing the nozzle.

The conventional techniques have been considered satisfactory for theirintended purpose. However, there is an ever present need for improvedflange bending support. This disclosure provides a solution for thisneed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An injector includes a mounting flange and a feed arm extending from aninner surface of the mounting flange. A spray nozzle extends from an endof the feed arm opposite the mounting flange. The mounting flangeincludes at least one inlet fitting in fluid communication with one ormore respective fluid passages through the feed arm. The spray nozzle isin fluid communication with the one or more respective fluid passagesfor issuing a spray of fluid supplied from the at least one inletfitting. The mounting flange includes a first mounting lug with afastener bore therethrough that passes through the mounting flange. Afirst support beam extends along an outer surface of the mounting flangefrom the first mounting lug to a hub of the mounting flange. The firstsupport beam includes an outer surface spaced apart from the outersurface of the mounting flange and two opposed lateral surfaces eachextending from the outer surface of the first support beam toward theouter surface of the mounting flange. The outer surface of the firstsupport beam includes a contour with a blended radius that extends alonga majority of the length from the first mounting lug to the hub formitigating mechanical stresses at the first mounting lug.

A second mounting lug can be included with a fastener bore therethroughthat passes through the mounting flange. A second support beam canextend along the outer surface of the mounting flange from the secondmounting lug to the hub of the mounting flange. The second support beamcan include an outer surface spaced apart from the outer surface of themounting flange and two opposed lateral surfaces each extending from theouter surface of the second support beam toward the outer surface of themounting flange. The outer surface of the second support beam caninclude a contour with a blended radius for mitigating mechanicalstresses at the second mounting lug. The first and second lugs can bediametrically opposed to one another across the hub of the mountingflange.

An engine case can be mounted to the mounting flange by two fastenersfastened through the fastener bores of the first and second mountinglugs. There can be a pocket defined between the engine case and theinner surface of the mounting flange. A gasket can be seated in thepocket sealing between the inner surface of the mounting flange and theengine case. An injector shroud can extend through the engine casearound the feed arm and can be captured in the pocket.

The support beam can include a stiffening beam extending from thelateral surfaces of the support beam to the outer surface of themounting flange, wherein the stiffening beam is wider than the widthbetween the opposed lateral surfaces of the support beam. The contour ofthe outer surface of the first support beam can be tangent with an outersurface of the first mounting lug. The outer surface of the firstsupport beam can include a flat portion extending from the hub to thecontour. The contour can meet the flat portion of the outer surface ofthe support beam at a non-tangential angle. Over 75% of the outersurface of the support beam can be included in the contour, and under25% of the outer surface of the support beam can be included in the flatportion.

A method of installing an injector in an engine case includes tighteninga fastener passing through a mounting lug of a mounting flange on aninjector to fasten the injector to an engine case. There is a gasket anda shroud compressed by an inner surface of the mounting flange in apocket of the engine case, wherein tightening the fastener loads themounting flange without causing failure because the mounting flange issupported by a support beam extending from a hub of the mounting flangeto the mounting lug. The support beam has at least one of an outersurface with a contour extending along a majority of the length from thefirst mounting lug to the hub for mitigating mechanical stresses at themounting lug and/or a stiffening beam extending from opposed lateralsurfaces of the support beam to an outer surface of the mounting flangewherein the stiffening beam is wider than the width between the opposedlateral surfaces. Tightening a fastener can include tightening twofasteners into two diametrically opposed mounting lugs of the mountingflange, wherein a support beam as recited in claim 11 extends from thehub to each mounting lug.

It is also contemplated that an injector includes a mounting flange anda feed arm extending from an inner surface of the mounting flange. Aspray nozzle extends from an end of the feed arm opposite the mountingflange. The mounting flange includes at least one inlet fitting in fluidcommunication with one or more respective fluid passages through thefeed arm. The spray nozzle is in fluid communication with the one ormore respective fluid passages for issuing a spray of fluid suppliedfrom the at least one inlet fitting. The mounting flange includes afirst mounting lug with fastener bore therethrough that passes throughthe mounting flange. A first support beam extends along an outer surfaceof the mounting flange from the first mounting lug to a hub of themounting flange, wherein the first support beam includes an outersurface spaced apart from the outer surface of the mounting flange andtwo opposed lateral surfaces each extending from the outer surface ofthe first support beam toward the outer surface of the mounting flange,wherein the support beam includes a stiffening beam extending from thelateral surfaces of the support beam to the outer surface of themounting flange, and wherein the stiffening beam is wider than the widthbetween the opposed lateral surfaces of the support beam for preventingover flexing the mounting flange.

A second mounting lug can be included with a fastener bore therethroughthat passes through the mounting flange. A second support beam canextend along the outer surface of the mounting flange from the secondmounting lug to the hub of the mounting flange. The second support beamcan include an outer surface spaced apart from the outer surface of themounting flange and two opposed lateral surfaces each extending from theouter surface of the second support beam toward the outer surface of themounting flange, wherein the support beam includes a stiffening beamextending from the lateral surfaces of the support beam to the outersurface of the mounting flange, and wherein the stiffening beam is widerthan the width between the opposed lateral surfaces of the support beamfor preventing over flexing the mounting flange. The first and secondlugs can be diametrically opposed to one another across the hub of themounting flange.

An engine case can be mounted to the mounting flange by two fastenersfastened through the fastener bores of the first and second mountinglugs, wherein there is a pocket defined between the engine case and theinner surface of the mounting flange. A gasket can be seated in thepocket sealing between the inner surface of the mounting flange and theengine case. An injector shroud can extend through the engine casearound the feed arm and can be captured in the pocket.

These and other features of the systems and methods of the subjectdisclosure will become more readily apparent to those skilled in the artfrom the following detailed description of the preferred embodimentstaken in conjunction with the drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

So that those skilled in the art to which the subject disclosureappertains will readily understand how to make and use the devices andmethods of the subject disclosure without undue experimentation,preferred embodiments thereof will be described in detail herein belowwith reference to certain figures, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of an injectorconstructed in accordance with the present disclosure, showing themounting flange, feed arm, and nozzle;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the injector of FIG. 1, showing thestiffening beams and the contours of the outer surfaces of the supportbeams; and

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional side-elevation view of a portion of theinjector of FIG. 1, showing a fastener mounting the injector to anengine case.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Reference will now be made to the drawings wherein like referencenumerals identify similar structural features or aspects of the subjectdisclosure. For purposes of explanation and illustration, and notlimitation, a partial view of an exemplary embodiment of an injector inaccordance with the disclosure is shown in FIG. 1 and is designatedgenerally by reference character 100. Other embodiments of injectors inaccordance with the disclosure, or aspects thereof, are provided inFIGS. 2-3, as will be described. The systems and methods describedherein can be used to mitigate and/or eliminate failures of mountingflanges during installation of injectors and nozzles such as in gasturbine engines.

The injector 100 includes a mounting flange 102 and a feed arm 104extending from an inner surface 106 of the mounting flange 102. A spraynozzle 108 extends from an end of the feed arm 104 opposite the mountingflange 102. The mounting flange 102 includes at least one inlet fitting110, in the example shown in FIGS. 1-2, there are two inlet fittings 110but any suitable number of inlet fittings can be used. The inletfittings 110 are in fluid communication with one or more respectivefluid passages 112 through the feed arm 104 as indicated schematicallyin FIG. 1 with the broken lines. The spray nozzle 108 is in fluidcommunication with the one or more respective fluid passages 112 forissuing a spray of fluid supplied from the inlet fitting or fittings110.

With reference now to FIG. 2, the mounting flange 102 includes a firstmounting lug 114 with a fastener bore 116 therethrough that passesthrough the mounting flange 102. A first support beam 118 extends alongan outer surface 120 of the mounting flange 102 from the first mountinglug 114 to a hub 122 of the mounting flange 102. The first support beam118 includes an outer surface 124 spaced apart from the outer surface120 of the mounting flange 102 and two opposed lateral surfaces 126 eachextending from the outer surface 124 of the first support beam 118toward the outer surface 120 of the mounting flange 102. Inner and outerin this context are with respect to an engine case into which theinjector 100 is mounted as described below. The outer surface 124 of thefirst support beam 118 includes a contour 128 with a blended radius thatextends along a majority of the length from the first mounting lug 114to the hub 122 for mitigating mechanical stresses at the first mountinglug 114. The contour 128 is tangent with an outer surface of the firstmounting lug 114, e.g., the upper surface of the mounting lug 114 asoriented in FIGS. 1-2. The outer surface 124 of the first support beam118 includes a flat portion 129 extending from the hub 122 to thecontour 128. The contour 128 meets the flat portion 129 of the outersurface 124 of the support beam 118 at a non-tangential angle. Over 75%of the outer surface 124 of the support beam 118 is included in thecontour 128, and under 25% of the outer surface 124 of the support beam118 is included in the flat portion 129. Those skilled in the art willreadily appreciate that other percentages can be used for the contour128 and flat portion 129 without departing from the scope of thisdisclosure. The radius size for contour 128 can be chosen, iterativelyas needed, until the stress prediction is shown to be acceptable for aspecific application.

The support beam 118 includes a stiffening beam 130 extending, e.g.,downward as oriented in FIGS. 1-2, from the lateral surfaces 126 of thesupport beam 118 to the outer surface 120 of the mounting flange 102.The stiffening beam 130 is wider than the width between the opposedlateral surfaces 126 of the support beam 118. The stiffening beam 130can prevent the mounting flange 102 from over flexing, which couldotherwise result in leakage at the gasket 154, which is described below.

A second mounting lug 132 includes a fastener bore 134 therethrough thatpasses through the mounting flange 102. A second support beam 136extends along the outer surface 102 of the mounting flange 102 from thesecond mounting lug 132 to the hub 122. The second support beam 136 issimilar to the first support beam 118 and includes an outer surface 138spaced apart from the outer surface 120 of the mounting flange 102 andtwo opposed lateral surfaces 140 each extending from the outer surface138 toward the outer surface 120 of the mounting flange 102. The outersurface 138 of the second support beam 136 includes a contour 142 with ablended radius for mitigating mechanical stresses at the second mountinglug 132. There is a flat portion 144 on the outer surface 138 of thesecond support beam 136, and the flat portion 144 and contour 142 aresimilar to those described above with respect to the first support beam118. The second support beam 136 also includes a stiffening beam 146similar to that described above with respect to the first stiffeningbeam 130. The first and second lugs 114 and 132 are diametricallyopposed to one another across the hub 122 of the mounting flange 102.

With reference now to FIG. 3, the mounting flange 102 can be mounted toan engine case 148 by two fasteners 150, only one of which is shown inFIG. 3 for sake of clarity, fastened through the fastener bores 116 and134 of the first and second mounting lugs 114 and 132. There is a pocket152 defined between the engine case 148 and the inner surface 106 of themounting flange 102. A gasket 154 is seated in the pocket 152, sealingbetween the inner surface 106 of the mounting flange 102 and the enginecase 148. An injector shroud 156 extends through the engine case 148around the feed arm 104, captured in the pocket 152 between the mountingflange 102 and the engine case 148. The top surface of the injectorshroud 156 is arranged to be initially below the top surface of thegasket 154 (as oriented in FIG. 3) so that the gasket 154 must becompressed in order to capture the injector shroud 156 in pocket 152.

Installing an injector 100 in an engine case 148 includes tightening thefastener 150 passing through each of the mounting lugs 114 and 132 ofthe mounting flange 102 to fasten the injector 100 to the engine case148. This compresses the gasket 154 and the shroud 156 in the pocket 152between the inner surface 106 of the mounting flange 102 and the enginecase 148. Tightening the fastener 150 loads the mounting flange 102without causing failure, e.g. at the mounting lugs 114 and 132, becausethe mounting flange 102 is supported by the support beams 118 and 136,which mitigate mechanical stresses at the mounting lug 114. Compressingthe gasket 154 includes tightening two fasteners 150, e.g., bytorqueing, into the two diametrically opposed mounting lugs 114 and 132,tightening the gap G between the inner surface 106 of the mountingflange 102 and the engine case 148. The blended radii of the contours128 and 142 absorb stresses as the fasteners 150 are torqued, reducingthe possibility of failure such as cracking at the mounting lugs 114 and132. The stiffening beams 130 and 146 help prevent the flange 102 fromdeflecting and causing stresses when the fasteners 150 are torqued, alsoreducing the possibility of failure.

The methods and systems of the present disclosure, as described aboveand shown in the drawings, provide for mounting flange bending supportwith superior properties including reduced mechanical stresses. Whilethe apparatus and methods of the subject disclosure have been shown anddescribed with reference to preferred embodiments, those skilled in theart will readily appreciate that changes and/or modifications may bemade thereto without departing from the scope of the subject disclosure.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of installing an injector in an engine case comprising: tightening a fastener passing through a mounting lug of a mounting flange on an injector to fasten the injector to an engine case, wherein there is a gasket and a shroud compressed by an inner surface of the mounting flange in a pocket of the engine case, wherein tightening the fastener loads the mounting flange without causing failure because the mounting flange is supported by a support beam extending from a hub of the mounting flange to the mounting lug, wherein the support beam has at least one of: an outer surface with a contour extending along a majority of the length from the first mounting lug to the hub for mitigating mechanical stresses at the mounting lug; and/or a stiffening beam extending from opposed lateral surfaces of the support beam to an outer surface of the mounting flange wherein the stiffening beam is wider than the width between the opposed lateral surfaces.
 2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein tightening a fastener includes tightening two fasteners into two diametrically opposed mounting lugs of the mounting flange, wherein a respective first and second support beam as recited in claim 1 extends from the hub to each mounting lug.
 3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the outer surface of the support beam includes a contour with a blended radius that extends along a majority of the length from the first mounting lug to the hub for mitigating mechanical stresses at the first mounting lug.
 4. The method as recited in claim 3, wherein the support beam further comprises: a second mounting lug with a fastener bore therethrough that passes through the mounting flange; and a second support beam extending along the outer surface of the mounting flange from the second mounting lug to the hub of the mounting flange, wherein the second support beam includes an outer surface spaced apart from the outer surface of the mounting flange and two opposed lateral surfaces each extending from the outer surface of the second support beam toward the outer surface of the mounting flange, wherein the outer surface of the second support beam includes a contour with a blended radius for mitigating mechanical stresses at the second mounting lug.
 5. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein the first and second lugs are diametrically opposed to one another across the hub of the mounting flange.
 6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the support beam includes a stiffening beam extending from the lateral surfaces of the support beam to the outer surface of the mounting flange, wherein the stiffening beam is wider than the width between the opposed lateral surfaces of the support beam.
 7. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the contour of the outer surface of the first support beam is tangent with an outer surface of the first mounting lug.
 8. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the outer surface of the first support beam includes a flat portion extending from the hub to the contour.
 9. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein the contour meets the flat portion of the outer surface of the support beam at a non-tangential angle.
 10. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein over 75% of the outer surface of the support beam is included in the contour, and under 25% of the outer surface of the support beam is included in the flat portion. 